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Tuesday, January 03, 2012

Book Review: Start Something That Matters

Start Something That Matters
by Blake Mycoskie

After several entrepreneurial start-ups, Blake Mycoskie took off from work to travel Argentina. While in Argentina, he was quiet taken with Argentinian national shoe, the alpargata. He also was moved my the amount of children that did not have shoes and were subsequently exposed to diseases. Upon his return to the U.S., he began working on a solution to the situation he witnessed in Argentina.

His answer was a simple concept, TOMS (Tomorrow's Shoes). He launched a business to manufacturer an Americanized version of the alpargata with better soles and inner soles. For every pair of shoes TOMS sold, they would donate a pair to a child in need.

The first portion of the book tells the story of TOMS, how the business launched, and how it has impacted children in need. The second portion on the book encourages the reader to find their own story - how to start simple and do something that makes a difference.

The story of TOMS is a compelling read and the book is very encouraging. I highly recommend reading this book. It is also available in audio form.

Irondad - Thanks. Coming from you that is a very high compliment. I wish you the best with whatever you decide. You might find it interesting that I have started working on a new project myself. Check out the link on the sidebar (Feed the Hungry Forsyth)